Page 94 of Oceansong
Angie clenched her jaw. “What, Nick?”
“You’re not easy to find.” Nick panted when he caught up with her.
She stared at him like he had sprouted an extra pair of eyes. “I’ve been at my station all day.”
“Oh!” Nick slapped the back of his hand to his forehead in false surprise. “I figured you might be hanging out with the mer again. Maybe evenplotting against us, your own people. I went down the seashore to see if you were hiding there.”
No surprise that he had to jab at her. He had been doing it nonstop the past three days. “What do you want?”
Nick’s expression sobered. “Do you know how to spearfish?”
“Yes.” She put her hands on her hips.
“Okay, good. Because you’re going with some of my divers to go mer hunting.”
“Now?” She straightened up.
“No, tomorrow.”
“It’s not safe to bring boats out. There might be mer around who could ambush you.” She vocalized the first reason that came to her head to dissuade him, futile as it may be.
“That’s the point, Angela. And not to worry.” He waved a dismissive hand at her. “We found a safe route. These boats are as quiet as they come. Plus, you’ll be wearing some nifty equipment on your wetsuit that’ll block electrical waves.” Nick threw her a look of annoyance. “Have you forgotten you still need to follow my orders? I promise you’ll be safe. I wouldn’t put my precious sister-in-law in danger.” The mocking tone when he saidsister-in-lawgrated her nerves.
A sense of unease made her skin prickle. “No, I’m not proficient enough with a speargun to catch them.” She stared him down in defiance.
“Is that so?” Nick’s foot tap, tap, tapped on the ground. “Then you better learn, fast! You’re a smart girl, aren’t you?” He raised his voice so it thundered over her head, and nearby workers stopped to stare.
His tone sent a shock winding through her veins. Nick waved the other workers away, and they scattered. “Be up bright and early tomorrow morning. Nobody is to come back without at least one kill or capture. We’ll show those fish that they can’t attack us and think they can get away with it.” He threw her one last pointed glare before he checked his watch and jogged off.
She had to do something. A plan began to take hold in her mind, and she walked in the opposite direction of him and made her way to the warehouse, where the spearguns were stored. After a glance around to make sure she was alone, she made quick work of jamming the safeties.
Tomorrow, the divers, and likely Stefan or Ken would inspect the spearguns before they went out, and finding them out of order, would delay the hunt while they worked to procure more. It was futile to think that it would cause Nick to call it off, but at the very least, it would give her time to think of something else in the interim.
Angie leaned against the railing by the shoreline later in the evening, staring out to the open sea. The destroyed gangway below was under repair, but the construction crew took their time. Only a smattering of gangplanks had been put down, filling in the broken spaces closest to the docks. She wasn’t to meet Kaden today, but she still hoped he’d come by so she could tell him about tomorrow, and he could give his people fair warning.
He never came.
“Look who washed up from the high seas.”
Stefan approached, and her wide smile conveyed her happiness as she slapped hands with him in greeting. “We’re going to run into each other every time we’re in this spot, huh?”
“Yep. One of my favorite places to go. Best view from the sea is from here. Before the mer tainted it, I mean, but it’s still beautiful.” Stefan shrugged one shoulder.
“Came for another stroll?” Angie cast a sideways glance at him.
“Well, Nick asked me to come out on this hunting trip tomorrow morning. I got here an hour ago making sure there was enough gear to go around. Make sure the suits were fitted with the electrical impulse inhibitor. This way nobody has to bring anything tomorrow. We got some extra funds from our mayor, so we could get some upgrades and newer equipment.” He rolled his shoulders out and shifted his weight from side to side. “Was about to head out, but I wanted to check out the view. Happened to see you here.”
“You decided to go out too?” She squeezed her hands tighter together, cracking her knuckles.
“I didn’t want to.” Stefan sucked in a breath and clenched his fist. “I never like taking lives. Especially something so human like the mer.”
“Then why do it?”
“Why are you going?” His voice raised a notch, a slight tremor arising.
“I didn’t have a choice. Nick said he needed my help. Icouldn’tsay no,” she muttered.
“I wasn’t thrilled, but Ken persuaded me. We can’t keep letting the mer push us around like this.”
